Neti Neti
by Harmony283
Summary: And Lenalee would give them lemonade -Drabble compilation. various pairings/ratings/genres. R&R please!
1. Picture Frame

_Neti-neti:_ "not this, not this"; negating all names and forms in order to arrive at the eternal underlying truth

-A drabble compilation

**.:: LaviYuu-Picture Frame::.  
For: meggle-star  
Rating: T**

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Lavi wasn't exactly sure when he started putting them up. One by one, lining the walls of his ratty old apartment that he had bought for cheap, with no real intention of staying for too long.

_Just take photos. _they said. He said. He couldn't exactly go against the old man's orders, not after pushing boundaries so much. _Take Pictures and send them back_. Because it was his own way of recording, wasn't it?

so when he started to keep some, he wasn't quite sure. It was like the lies he told that Sunday afternoon--standing in front of the church yard, pressed white Sunday-school clothes swearing against the God they loved so much.

Allen had gotten on to him about it. Lenalee nearly cried.

Yuu hadn't said anything, but then, he assumed that was normal.

it was a fixation, maybe, that he took pictures then. Or started to--if he wanted to have a defining point on _when_ something started. Which, of course, History meant dates. Dates were very important. Highly important.

So he started--and it happened--he had many. Allen's smile, Lenalee's frown, Chaoji and that Karate competion he finally won, Tiedoll and that art piece he loved so much--Daisya before the car accident.

Yuu when he was training (he never told him about that), Yuu when he was angry, Yuu when he was sad-but-wouldn't-say-it, Yuu when Mugen was pressed to his throat because why-the-hell-did-you-take-a-picture-now. Yuu without his shirt on.

It was becoming a fixation. One he hadn't meant, but one he loved all the same.

He had a picture of the spin-the-bottle contest. Of Komui's shocked expression when Lenalee got chosen--and the kiss too. It was a memorable event, laughter and fun and orange soda (he had a picture of that too).

Of Kanda with his hair down, after a shower, to help it dry faster. Of them sitting out on the small balcony, where they could hear the laughter downstairs as Allen constantly won. Lavi had a picture of his poker face too.

Of the quiet times--when they were all asleep. When they would whisper secrets to each other--and then yell at him to turn the flash off. Try to be more discrete. Except that wasn't like Lavi. Not like lavi at all.

He never showed Bookman these pictures. Never. Never would, either, he was sure. They would be his own private collection, hanging on the walls of his ratty old apartment that no one ever went to but him. He'd never show them, though they might smile. He'd want a picture of that too. He loved smiles--secretly--he had a picture of every kind.

Even Yuu's --hanging above the wall of his bed, threatening to fall, and if it did he wouldn't mind. No, he wouldn't. Because he would see it everytime when he sat up in the morning (or chose to look, in any case).

Yuu hadn't been happy when he caught that picture--that one time after practice, sheathing Mugen and breathing harshly. It was summer. They were alone. In a clearing. Maybe it hadn't been the smartest idea to sneak up behind him at the time, but Lavi hadn't cared. Never would.

It was the perfect shot, even as Yuu denied it. Even as he made him swear never to show another living soul--and well, Lavi could be proud of himself because he _hadn't _told anyone else. Never ever. Never would. It was a promise between them. Between--whatever they were.

Because he could never take a picture of the first time they kissed. Or else Yuu would kill him--certainly. Or maybe he would understand, Lavi didn't know.

He only hoped, one day, to have a picture framed up on his wall of a smile he put on Yuu's face.

That would be wonderful wouldn't it?

Maybe he was a little bit obsessed. But pictures contained moments, and moments were precious, unlivable again except through memories--memories which could be forgotten.

Lavi didn't want to forget. So--he took pictures. Took pictures and framed them and put them up on the walls of his ratty old apartment that he had gotten for cheap.

It was enough.

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**reviews** would be appreciated if you choose to give them.


	2. Television Set

**A/N: **Sorry for the late update. *bows* Stuff happened and this got thrown onto the backburner. Oh, I forgot to mention in the first chapter but: the majority of these drabbles do not connect. Thanks so much to BlindBeyondSight, SagaMoon, Evanescent Silence, Kakashi and BB's Nightmare, and seiyuurabu for reviewing!

**.::Lavi+Kanda: **"But _how_ was I supposed to know the TV wouldn't fit through the window?!"**::.**  
**For: ** **Hakasha/Evanescent Silence**  
**Rating****: T  
****Genre: Humor/Friendship**

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It came about one Summer Vacation, exactly 2 weeks and 6 days before the new semester started, and for all intents and purposes Lavi was bored.

Bored, and lazing around on the empty floor of the new apartment that wasn't his, but might as well be.

With a frowning Kanda Yuu glaring at him from the door way.

He had never been one to break the silence, but, well. Now was the time to--Lavi guessed--from the way Kanda's eyebrow twitched. But what to say? What to say?

The first thing, of course.

"Neh, neh Yuu-chan, welcome back!"

He didn't look pleased.

Lavi sat up, "Neh, neh Yuu-chan, what'd ya buy?" Because he had the keys, and he had a bag--a simple grocery bag. It being Yuu-chan he could only guess what it was. But he didn't.

Nope.

"None of your business."

"More soba?"

Another twitch of an eyebrow. The bag sounded too heavy when it hit the counter.

"Yuu-chan, we can't survive off of _soba_!"

"You can't." The response was clipped, but better than none, Lavi decided, mouth splitting into a grin, "Now quit lying the fuck around--the boxes will be here soon."

Lavi's grin widened, impossibly, "Yeah I know. Hard ta believe, idn't it?"

Because it _was_--wasn't it?

Right?

"We'll be Roomies officially then, right?"

"After we throw half your shit out."

Lavi mocked a hurt expression, "But _Yuu-chan_ I'm very modest y'know!"

A raised eyebrow, "Che. Of course."

"But I am! honest!"

"Since when were you honest?" Maybe those words were a bit colder but--what did it matter?

* * *

By some grace of God they hadn't killed each other yet. Neither was quite sure exactly how they had slipped past that point, and it left Allen and Lenalee (both of which who had been gracious enough to come over and help with the sheer amount of boxes that needed unloading) even more baffled.

But if anyone were to guess, the answer would be simple.

It started with the TV.

And Lavi's words:

"But _how_ was I supposed to know the TV wouldn't fit through the window?!"

It should have been a simple answer.

"B_ecause_ you fucking retard--you can _tell how damn small _these _windows are_."

"B-But I thought for sure it would fit! I mean the TV Stand did!"

"Because you took it the fuck apart."

"And put it back together again."

"Tch--the same still applies--didn't you think to use the fucking _door_?"

"But that's _boring_ Yuu-chan!" A pouty face, a pouty tone. Allen heard it from a mile away. Maybe the lemonade was too sour. Maybe it was like a trainwreck waiting to happen.

He couldn't stop watching.

Couldn't--and didn't--because there he was. In the living room, watching two of his best friends squabble like--like--he choked a bit on his drink. No, he wouldn't go there. Nope. Not at all.

"Who the fuck _cares_--the TV is fucking broken now." Because a force and a shove and it didn't work and--

"And _I'm _not any better off?!"

"Tch if you had used the fucking door like a sane person then _maybe _that wouldn't happen." And they would mourn over the broken television screen because--as said by Lavi--it went like this.

He wanted to be original, he wanted to try a different route--and they were _on_ the first floor anyway so it was perfectly plausible that he could shove something through the window and be good as a can of peaches in summer.

Too bad for him there was a thing called concrete, and when the TV _refused_--well--there was a thing called backing off. And he had left it sitting there. Was going to go around but--oh it tipped by the natural forces of gravity.

And landed on his foot.

And on the concrete.

The only reason they knew this was the loud string of colorful curses that were thankfully in every other language _besides_ English. They had run to the scene only to see what was left of the essentially broken tele. With Lavi nursing his injured foot, tears prickling at his eye.

They had only managed to get him to hobble inside before all hell broke loose.

Because Kanda hadn't gone running--he was busy setting up where Mugen would hang--on the wall--in easy access for training (he was cool like that)--and now they were here, in the living room taking a break.

Lenalee wanted to give them lemonade. She had already given Lavi ice for his foot (it had a nasty bruise on it. Or would. Black and ugly, a reminder of his stupidity), and now it was time to cool them off that way. Except, of course, it wouldn't quite work. No. It wouldn't. Not with them and--

"And _again_," Lavi continued, sounding a bit bitter, "I didn't _know_ it wouldn't fit! Christ, Yuu, it's just a TV. You don't watch it _anyway_--I'm the one who should be _upset_ about it but I'm _not_!"

"Do you know how much that damn thing _cost_?"

"Well you _got it _for a present so--but yeah I can figure."

"Che present or not. _You _try dealing with Tiedoll when he goes on one of his fucking _guilt trips_."

"You let those _affect_ you?"

"Tch."

"Lovely response, Yuu. Look I'll pay you back! I swear! Then you can go out and get yourself _another _TV."

"And have you fucking try to force it through the damn _window_?" Allen felt a chill run down his spine. He wasn't quite sure it was from his lemonade. In fact, it would be stupid to think so, so he didn't. He just watched them glare at each other with Lenalee --fidgeting beside him.

three

two

one

"That was _only once_ Yuu-chan. I think I learned my lesson."

If that was ever considered a truce, Allen was sure neither would ever admit to it. But then, they would be roommates. They couldn't kill each other _yet._

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**Reviews **would be appreciated if you choose to give them.


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